Funding

Funding

Any study abroad journey should begin by first assessing the educational goals you wish to achieve, forming a realistic budget for achieving those goals, and then seeking the funds you need to succeed.

Funding is a natural and important concern. However, program costs abroad are often less than in America and the cost of living abroad is often much less. Add to this that transferable college credit is often available, and a semester abroad can be surprisingly competitive with a semester at home.

Budgeting

Your budget with SRAS will consist of three parts. The first is the program cost. With most SRAS programs, this covers the cost of instruction, housing, and medical insurance and currently ranges from about $9,000-12,000 dollars per semester. See the pages for individual SRAS programs for more information.

The second part is cost of living. This can vary widely based on location and student lifestyle, but SRAS students report spending an average of $35-110 per week for food, transport, communication, entertainment, and incidentals. See our budget guides for each location for more information.

The third is airfare. This will vary widely based on time of year and departure and arrival city. Tickets from New York to most SRAS locations can be purchased for about $500-1100. See our guide to international airfare for more information. (coming soon).

Funding Sources

Funding sources for study abroad are numerous and diverse, but a few deserve special attention.

Many students mistakenly believe that grants for study abroad must be impossibly competitive. Never assume that a grant or scholarship is somehow too prestigious to apply for. Too many people thinking like that is the reason that those who administer grants often point to a lack of applicants.

Note that, if your university pre-approves your program for credit and agrees to manage payment, you can use federal aid to help pay for your program. Check with SRAS and university for details.

Never underestimate your social network. It is increasingly commonplace for students to use sites like FundMyTravel and other fundraising sites to fund their study abroad. A recent SRAS student, for example, raised $740 in small donations.

SRAS has listed every funding source we know of here that will fund study abroad to Eurasia for Americans. The list is long – but the application procedure for each is often surprisingly brief. Click here and see how many you can apply for today!